British Basketball can now target Rio 2016 Olympics after receiving funding reprieve from UK Sport

UK Sport has denied bowing to pressure from NBA star Luol Deng’s letter to the
Prime Minister after basketball succeeded in overturning the decision to cut
all its funding for the next Olympics.

Breakthrough: Great Britain star Luol Deng and his team-mates can now set their sights on Rio 2016Photo: GETTY IMAGES

By Ben Rumsby

2:37PM GMT 01 Feb 2013

British Basketball was celebrating on Friday after successfully challenging the decision to take away the entire £8.5 million it had received in the build-up to London 2012 during an informal representation hearing on Wednesday.

The original decision in December sparked intense lobbying from British Basketball and world governing body FIBA, culminating in Chicago Bulls and Great Britain forward Deng complaining directly to David Cameron.

After confirming British Basketball would be awarded an initial one year of funding worth millions, however, UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl said of Deng’s attempt to secure Government intervention: “It doesn’t affect us. It’s a bit of noise. All our decisions are based on performance potential.”

Nicholl said that UK Sport relented after British Basketball showed it the draw for this year’s European Basketball Championship, which convinced UK Sport the country stood a realistic chance of qualifying for Rio 2016.

“We were not convinced in December about the medal potential for 2020. What changed is that the EuroBasket draw happened and when basketball came to the board on Wednesday, they presented information which indicated that they’ve got the highest seeding they’ve ever had at a EuroBasket and they showed us the journey through from EuroBasket to qualification for Rio. They showed us the countries they were likely to come up against on that journey. And that journey looked realistic for Rio and, once qualified for Rio, it gave us confidence that a top four to eight finish in Rio actually is possible.”

UK Sport boasts a “no compromise” approach when it comes to funding and when challenged about whether the announcement yesterday meant that had changed, Nicholl said: “This is absolutely 'no compromise’, it’s based on new and compelling performance evidence. This is absolutely about medal potential for 2020. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s possible.”

Deng hailed the news yesterday as “incredible”. He said: “The last few weeks have been a great example of teamwork and what can be achieved when everyone works together. The hard work, however, starts now.

“As players we have to now deliver on a number of levels and ensure that the legacy of 2012 and indeed the last six years is established and continues to grow between now and Rio. In 2016, we aim to reward today’s decision with a medal.”

British Basketball performance chairman Roger Moreland said: “We are delighted with the decision of UK Sport. They have acknowledged that we successfully presented compelling new performance data, which not only impressed the board but made them recognise that we are potential podium contenders for 2020.

“We will enter into a dialogue with UK Sport about the actual details and level of funding as well as the support services required. This is a momentous day for British basketball.”